ED.- These two teams both won division titles over relatively weak competition with similar records (85-77 in 1987; 87-76 in 2009), so I thought it might be fun to simulate a seven-game series between them. I constructed the rosters and lineups based on what I suspect the managers would do, but I let Diamond Mind do the rest.
Baker, Bullpen Outduel Viola
It was expected that the 2009 Twins would have problems solving lefty Frank Viola. While that was the case in game one, the story of the game was Scott Baker, Jose Mijares, Matt Guerrier, and Joe Nathan. The four pitchers combined for a six-hit shut out over the 1987 Twins to take a lead in the best-of-seven series.
’09 Minnesota got the scoring started right away against Viola. With one out, Orlando Cabrera hit a swinging bunt between Viola and Kent Hrbek at first. With Cabrera safely at first, Viola was able to retire Joe Mauer on a sharp liner to Gary Gaetti at third, but he did not have so much luck with Justin Morneau. The Canadian first baseman hit a hard drive off the baggy in right, scoring Cabrera all the way from first.
Viola settled down, and at one point retired nine in a row. After allowing lead off singles in both the second and third innings, Viola did not give up another hit until the eighth.
His performance was matched by Baker, who retired the first 11 men he faced. After six innings, Baker had allowed just three hits, and with just 68 pitches thrown it seemed he may have a lot left.
That’s when the managers took over. Perhaps in an effort to out-manage his teacher Tom Kelly, Ron Gardenhire went to the bullpen, calling for a lefty to face Kent Hrbek to start the seventh. Kelly countered by pinch-hitting for Hrbek. Don Baylor popped out. Though Mijares got into some trouble later in the inning, Matt Guerrier was able to end the inning without allowing a run.
A Michael Cuddyer sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth added an insurance run that proved unnecessary. Joe Nathan retired the ’86 Twins in order in the top of the ninth inning to clinch game one for the 2009 Twins.
Boxscore and Play-by-play below the fold.
6/8/2010, Min87-Min09, Metrodome
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP
1987 Twins 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 1 6 0
2009 Twins 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 x 2 6 0 7 0
Twins AB R H BI D T HR BB K SB CS IW HP SH SF AVG PO A E PB
Gladden lf 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 6 0 0 0
Gagne ss 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 .250 3 1 0 0
Puckett cf 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .250 3 0 0 0
Hrbek 1b 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 1 1 0 0
Baylor ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0
Larkin 1b 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 3 0 0 0
Gaetti 3b 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 1 3 0 0
Bush dh 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 0 0 0 0
Nieto ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000 0 0 0 0
Davidson ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0
Brunansky rf 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333 1 0 0 0
Lombardozzi 2b 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 1 2 1 0
Laudner c 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333 4 1 0 0
Viola p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 1 1 0 0
33 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 24 9 1 0
Twins AB R H BI D T HR BB K SB CS IW HP SH SF AVG PO A E PB
Span lf 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 1 0 0 0
Cabrera,O ss 4 1 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 .750 2 2 0 0
Mauer c 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 5 0 0 0
Morneau 1b 4 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 7 1 0 0
Cuddyer rf 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 .000 0 0 0 0
Kubel dh 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0
Gomez cf 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333 7 0 0 0
Tolbert 3b 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 1 2 0 0
Punto 2b 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 3 1 0 0
Baker,S p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 1 2 0 0
Mijares p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0
Guerrier p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0
Nathan p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0 0 0
29 2 6 2 2 0 0 3 4 1 1 2 0 0 1 27 8 0 0
Twins INN H R ER BB K PCH STR BF HR IW HP WP DP ERA
Viola L 0-1 8.0 6 2 2 3 4 94 60 33 0 2 0 0 0 2.25
8.0 6 2 2 3 4 94 60 33 0 2 0 0 0
Twins INN H R ER BB K PCH STR BF HR IW HP WP DP ERA
Baker,S W 1-0 6.0 3 0 0 0 4 68 52 21 0 0 0 1 0 0.00
Mijares H 1 0.2 1 0 0 0 0 15 8 3 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
Guerrier H 1 1.1 2 0 0 0 1 11 8 6 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
Nathan S 1 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 11 6 3 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
9.0 6 0 0 0 5 105 74 33 0 0 0 1 0
Min: Baylor batted for Hrbek in the 7th
Nieto batted for Bush in the 7th
Larkin inserted at 1b in the 7th
Davidson batted for Nieto in the 9th
GWRBI: Morneau
Temperature: 70, Wind: none.
6/8/2010, Min87-Min09, Metrodome
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP
1987 Twins 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 1 6 0
2009 Twins 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 x 2 6 0 7 0
Score O Rnr BS Event
----- - --- -- -----
************** Top of the 1st inning, Twins batting
0-0 0 --- 01 Gladden lined out to second (CX)
0-0 1 --- 02 Gagne struck out (FFS)
0-0 2 --- 00 Puckett flied out to center (X)
************** Bottom of the 1st inning, Twins batting
0-0 0 --- 22 Span grounded out to third (BBCCX)
0-0 1 --- 00 Cabrera,O reached on an infield single to the catcher (X)
0-0 1 1-- 00 Mauer lined out to third (X)
0-0 2 1-- 11 Morneau doubled deep to right, Cabrera,O scored (SBX)
0-1 2 -2- 30 Cuddyer was walked intentionally (IIII)
0-1 2 12- 02 Kubel struck out (CCS)
************** Top of the 2nd inning, Twins batting
0-1 0 --- 01 Hrbek flied out to center (CX)
0-1 1 --- 10 Gaetti grounded out to second (BX)
0-1 2 --- 22 Bush grounded out to the mound (BFBCX)
************** Bottom of the 2nd inning, Twins batting
0-1 0 --- 01 Gomez grounded a single up the middle (CX)
0-1 0 1-- 00 Tolbert flied out to center (X)
0-1 1 1-- 00 Punto flied out to left (X)
0-1 2 1-- 10 Span grounded to second, forcing Gomez at second (BX)
************** Top of the 3rd inning, Twins batting
0-1 0 --- 01 Brunansky grounded out to short (CX)
0-1 1 --- 02 Lombardozzi grounded out to short (CCX)
0-1 2 --- 12 Laudner struck out (BSCS)
************** Bottom of the 3rd inning, Twins batting
0-1 0 --- 01 Cabrera,O grounded a single between first and second (CX)
0-1 0 1-- 01 Mauer flied out to left (CX)
0-1 1 1-- 01 Morneau flied out to left (CX)
0-1 2 1-- 22 Cuddyer flied out to left (CBSFBX)
************** Top of the 4th inning, Twins batting
0-1 0 --- 22 Gladden popped out to first (BBCFX)
0-1 1 --- 02 Gagne struck out (CSFS)
0-1 2 --- 01 Puckett grounded a single up the middle (CX)
0-1 2 1-- 21 Baker,S threw a wild pitch, Puckett to second (1FBBB)
0-1 2 -2- 31 Hrbek popped out to third (1FBBB.X)
************** Bottom of the 4th inning, Twins batting
0-1 0 --- 12 Kubel flied out to center (SBFX)
0-1 1 --- 32 Gomez struck out (BCBFBS)
0-1 2 --- 02 Tolbert struck out (CFS)
************** Top of the 5th inning, Twins batting
0-1 0 --- 01 Gaetti flied out to left (CX)
0-1 1 --- 02 Bush reached on an infield single to second (FSX)
0-1 1 1-- 32 Brunansky struck out (1BFSFBFFBS)
0-1 2 1-- 11 Lombardozzi flied out to center (BFX)
************** Bottom of the 5th inning, Twins batting
0-1 0 --- 10 Punto flied out to right (BX)
0-1 1 --- 00 Span grounded out to first (X)
0-1 2 --- 00 Cabrera,O to first on an error by the second baseman
Lombardozzi (X)
0-1 2 1-- 00 Cabrera,O was caught stealing second (>B)
************** Top of the 6th inning, Twins batting
0-1 0 --- 11 Laudner grounded out to the mound (BFX)
0-1 1 --- 11 Gladden popped out to first (CBX)
0-1 2 --- 10 Gagne grounded a single between third and short (BX)
0-1 2 1-- 02 Puckett grounded out to first (CCX)
************** Bottom of the 6th inning, Twins batting
0-1 0 --- 32 Mauer walked (BBSBCFB)
0-1 0 1-- 00 Mauer stole second (>S)
0-1 0 -2- 31 Morneau flied out to left, Mauer to third (>S.BBBX)
0-1 1 --3 30 Cuddyer was walked intentionally (IIII)
0-1 1 1-3 22 Kubel struck out (CBBFC)
0-1 2 1-3 00 Gomez grounded to third, forcing Cuddyer at second (X)
************** Top of the 7th inning, Twins batting
Mijares now pitching
Baylor pinch hitting for Hrbek
0-1 0 --- 10 Baylor popped out to second (BX)
0-1 1 --- 32 Gaetti flied out to center (CBCBBX)
Nieto pinch hitting for Bush
0-1 2 --- 32 Nieto lined a single to right center (BSBFFBX)
Guerrier now pitching
0-1 2 1-- 20 Brunansky lined a single to shallow left, Nieto to second
(BBX)
0-1 2 12- 00 Lombardozzi grounded to third, forcing Brunansky at
second (X)
************** Bottom of the 7th inning, Twins batting
Larkin now playing first base
0-1 0 --- 00 Tolbert grounded out to short (X)
0-1 1 --- 22 Punto lined out to center (BBFSFX)
0-1 2 --- 01 Span grounded out to third (CX)
************** Top of the 8th inning, Twins batting
0-1 0 --- 00 Laudner grounded a single up the middle (X)
0-1 0 1-- 10 Gladden bunted into an out to third, forcing Laudner at
second, Gladden to first (BbXb)
0-1 1 1-- 02 Gagne struck out (CCS)
0-1 2 1-- 00 Puckett flied out to center (X)
************** Bottom of the 8th inning, Twins batting
0-1 0 --- 00 Cabrera,O doubled deep to left center (X)
0-1 0 -2- 00 Mauer bunted into an out to the mound, Cabrera,O out at
third, Mauer to first (Xb)
0-1 1 1-- 11 Morneau lined a single to right center, Mauer to third
(CBX)
0-1 1 1-3 11 Cuddyer hit a sacrifice fly to left, Mauer scored (SBX)
0-2 2 1-- 10 Kubel grounded out to second (BX)
************** Top of the 9th inning, Twins batting
Nathan now pitching
0-2 0 --- 11 Larkin popped out to center (BCX)
0-2 1 --- 20 Gaetti popped out to short (BBX)
Davidson pinch hitting for Nieto
0-2 2 --- 22 Davidson flied out to center (CBBFX)
